Law & Order CI: Riddle Me This
by Lina-Baggins
Summary: Sequel to 'Redemption Song! Hurrah! Now that Bobby and Maria are married, they return to work to find the MCS scratching their heads over an 'apparent' suicide... or will this riddle best the mind of Bobby Goren after all?
1. Chapter 1: Back At Work

Law & Order CI: Riddle Me This

**Author's notes: Welcome back, everyone, to the third story concerning Bobby and Maria Goren! (It's so nice to write that!)**

**Redemption Song proved such a hit, that I wanted to write more, more, more! So here I am, presenting you _Riddle Me This_, a mystery to have your head scratching, your heart pounding and your eyes locked on the screen! Enjoy! Previous disclaimers apply.**

Chapter one.

Alex Eames, senior detective, looked up from her computer screen to see her partner, Robert Goren, enter the MCS squad room with his new wife and her niece, now Maria Goren, in tow. Both were sporting biscuit-coloured tans and honey-moon smiles.

'Well, look who's back in the country! It's about time! How was Australia?' Eames asked, leaping up and embracing her niece warmly. Bobby scratched his nose, a small smile playing on his lips.

'It was great Aunty! We went to Brisbane and I took Bobby to all the great theme parks. We also got lucky; Guy Sebastian is doing a tour at the moment, so we went and saw him play,' Maria replied, releasing her aunt and hooking her arm through her hubby's. Alex grinned at Goren.

'And?' she asked, knowing full well what was going to come next. Bobby hated being wrong.

'And... and... and Maria was... right,' Bobby admitted in a halting voice, rather sheepishly. Alex laughed.

'Two Guy nuts in the family, I don't think Dad will be able to cope,' she giggled. Maria rolled her eyes and Bobby blushed. Alex extended her left hand to her partner.

'Well, I'm really happy for you both,' she said. Goren grabbed her hand and peered at it closely.

'This can't... this isn't... Eames, is this what I think it is?' Bobby breathed as Eames snatched her hand back, but not before Maria caught a glimpse of the flash of light from the platinum and diamond band that encased her ring finger.

'Aunty, are you... are you engaged?' Maria gasped as Eames nursed her hand, her face burning.

'Well, just after you two left on your honeymoon, Daniel and I went out to dinner and, well, he proposed and I accepted,' Alex mumbled, looking everywhere but at her partner. But Bobby was beaming.

'Eames, that's... that's fantastic!' he cried, bear-hugging her tiny frame. Alex beat her small hands against his torso until Bobby realised that he was cutting off her air supply. He released her and stepped back, wrapping his arms around his 5'4" detective wife. Maria snuggled against him and smiled at Alex.

'Congratulations Aunty, Daniel's a great guy. He'll make you really happy,' Maria said. Alex nodded, a smile spreading across her face.

'We gotta go check in with Deakins, but we'll be back,' Bobby said, leading his wife away. Alex sat back down in her chair, a warm glow filling her up. Not only were two of her favourite people in the world back in town, but she could now ditch the drop-kick Deakins had assigned to her as a temporary partner.

* * *

Captain James 'Jimmy' Deakins gave the newly-weds a similar welcome back, cuffing Bobby genially on the shoulder and congratulating him on his recent nuptials.

'So when are you two starting back?' Deakins asked, sitting back down behind his desk. Bobby shot a look at Maria, who looked coyly at the captain.

'Er, well, we were thinking... maybe... Monday next week?' she said timidly. Deakins arched an eyebrow.

'Monday? That's a little soon, don't you think? Aren't you kids planning to, er, start a family?' he asked, looking from detective to detective. Maria blushed.

'We... um... are, but Bobby and I agreed that we're both better off at work. We'd drive each other nuts if we had to bum around the house for another two weeks. Besides, we'd have plenty of time for that when we'd get home from work,' Maria replied shyly. Bobby sniggered and Deakins shot him an incredulous look.

'Dear God, Goren, if I hadn't worked with you for so damn long, I'd say you were crazy,' Deakins sighed. With a dismissive wave, the captain let the pair exit his office. Seconds later, ADA Ron Carver entered with a stack of paperwork.

'Rumour has it that the Gorens are back from their honeymoon,' he said, passing Deakins the pile. Deakins dropped it on the desk and rubbed his forehead.

'For once, the rumours are true. Bobby and Maria are back. They start back next Monday.'

'That's a little soon, isn't it?'

'If I didn't know Goren so damn well, I'd say yeah. But both of them insisted that they were perfectly happy to return on Monday.'

'Sheesh, you'd reckon Goren would wanna at _least_ start a family. Especially after, well, certain recent events,' Carver said, staring up at the ceiling. Deakins nodded tiredly.

'The rumour mill also churned out another good one. Seems like the marriage bug is biting around here and that our _other_ detective Eames has been well and truly bitten,' Carver said listlessly. Deakins groaned and opened the drawer in his desk. After rummaging for a few moments, he extracted a rectangular piece of card which he handed to the ADA.

'Got it yesterday. Marrying this guy, Burfield,' he said as Carver scrutinised the simple yet elegant invitation. He handed it back to Deakins.

'Well, I know what I'll b doing this afternoon.'

'And what's that, Mr. Carver?'

The ADA grinned and opened the door to the captain's office.

'Sucking up for my invite.'

* * *

Bobby arrived home with his new wife and three suitcases in tow. He dropped the cases and threw open the door to their apartment. Sweeping his laughing bride off her feet, he carried her over the threshold and spun her around in the living room.

'Welcome home, Mrs. Goren,' he laughed, his intelligent brown eyes sparkling as he stared into hers. Maria nuzzled his nose.

'Welcome home, Mr. Goren,' she whispered, planting a soft kiss on his rough, unshaven cheek. Goren dropped her unceremoniously onto the couch and threw off his suit jacket. They had changed into more professional clothes at the airport so that they could visit the precinct without getting rattled for their holiday clothes. Maria reached up and loosened his tie slightly. Bobby leant down and kissed her neck.

'Bobby, do you think that we're rushing back to work a little too soon?' Maria asked softly. Bobby dragged his lips away from her and stared.

'How do you mean?'

'Well, maybe Deakins is right. Maybe another two weeks is what we need,' Maria said, entwining her fingers through his soft curls. Bobby gave her a half-smile and stroked the arm that ran past his right shoulder.

'We'd drive each other nuts, you know. Completely bonkers. We _need _the stimulus,' Bobby replied. Maria grinned darkly at him and stroked his left hip.

'I can think of one stimulus that they can't provide at work,' she murmured, pulling him down to her. Bobby sighed contentedly as her kiss found his Adam's Apple.

'I don't know so much... see, the last time I was there, they hired this hot little junior detective from Australia...' he moaned. Maria giggled against his throat.

'Now, now Bobby, there'll be no more playing the field. I'm the only team you'll be batting for now,' she said warningly. Goren laughed and buried his face in her hair.

'I wouldn't even consider a trade, my darling. Never in a million eons and then some.'

* * *

Monday arrived, cool and crisp as Alex Eames stepped out of the elevator and onto the floor of the squad room, sucking thoughtfully on the lid of her morning coffee. She almost choked on it when she spotted her partner sitting quietly at his desk, tapping away at his computer.

'You're back early,' she said as she sat across from him. Goren looked up, barely concerned.

'Not really. Maria and I decided that going back to work was the best for both of us.'

'You mean you've had enough of sleeping with your wife already? Goren, you've been married four weeks!'

Bobby looked her gently.

'I never said I was tired of sleeping with Maria. I simply said that going back to work was the best idea. We're both the type of people who get bored easily. We need the work to keep us satisfied.'

'Funny thing for a newly-wed man to say.'

Bobby rolled his eyes and kept typing at his computer. Alex smiled and looked up. Deakins was heading their way. He arrived and gave Goren a quick nod.

'Heads up kids, first case of the week,' he said, dropping a file on Goren's desk. The detective seized it eagerly. Alex grimaced.

'_Some _stimulus,' she said. Deakins looked at her.

'I told them that you'd be at the crime scene in twenty minutes,' he said. Goren grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and stood up.

'Let's go.'

* * *

Amid the flashing lights of the crime scene photographer's flash, Goren darted around the corpse, examining it from every angle. Alex read the initial report.

'Tommy Whitfield, thirty-seven, apparent suicide,' Alex said, looking down at her partner. Goren looked up at her.

'Occupation?'

'Writer, or would-be writer. Apparently he was behind that quiz book that was supposed to be the big thing this summer.'

'Really? Didn't it flop?'

'Yeah, badly. Apparently MENSA said that a three year old could have solved the riddles in it. The big hit became the big flop.'

Goren studied the body carefully. The man who lay on the floor of his family home was roughly Goren's height, yet not as muscular. His hair was a dirty blonde and his skin was pale. The senior detective lifted the man's hand and checked his fingernails. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket knife, scraping under the nails and depositing the residue in an evidence bag. He handed it to the clean up crew.

'Send this to the labs and give me a complete forensic on it. Tox screen, narcotics, you name it. Bring me the results as soon as you can,' Goren said. The crew member nodded and whisked away. Alex stood by her partner.

'You think this might not have been suicide?'

'I don't know. There might be foul play, there might not.'

'Why do you think...?'

'Remember the case we did when Strick killed his mother when he was ten?'

'You think that one of the kids did it?'

Goren looked back at the body.

'I don't know, Alex. I just don't know.'

* * *

'So there were no signs of struggle, no other injuries and nothing that suggests that Whitfield was murdered in a robbery? So why don't you think that it was suicide?' Deakins said upon reading the initial report back at the precinct. Goren swung aimlessly on his chair. Deakins looked up.

'Alright, smart guy, _why_ don't you think this was a suicide?'

Goren sat up straight.

'I never said that he _didn't_ suicide, I just said that he might _not_ have suicided,' he replied, as a young lab tech walked in and handed Goren a folder.

'Tox report?' Alex asked as Goren flipped through it quickly. He nodded. He looked at Deakins.

'Can we get Whitfield's medical records? I need to know whether he was on medication for depression,' he said. Deakins sighed and picked up the phone.

'I'm on it.

* * *

Goren sighed as he pushed the door open to the apartment. It wasn't the first time he had been presented with a murder case that looked like a suicide. This just wasn't the way he planned on coming back to work.

'Hey there, handsome.'

Goren whirled around to see Maria setting their wedding silver on the table, accompanied by lit candles and bowls of creamy pasta. He smiled and hung his jacket up by the door, loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt.

'What's the special occasion?' he asked as he kissed his wife lightly on the cheek. _This must be how Deakins goes home... why on earth didn't I get married earlier?_

'Do I need a special occasion to cook you a candle-lit dinner?' Maria replied, walking back to the table, holding Bobby's hand. He pulled her chair out for her and when she was seated, swept around and sat across from her. From the first bite, Bobby was certain that he had married an excellent cook. Maria had made beef tortellini with a creamy bacon and mushroom sauce, followed by a chocolate fondue. After his wife removed the last traces of chocolate from around his mouth (something he found _quite_ enjoyable), she led him into the lounge room where the floor had been cleared.

'One surprise after another,' Bobby murmured, massaging her shoulders gently. Maria rested her cheek briefly against his hand before reaching out and flipping the stereo on. The opening strains of a _very_ familiar tune poured out of the speakers as Maria gripped his hands.

'Is this what I think it is?' Bobby asked as he spun his wife across the floor. Maria grinned.

'If you're asking if this is the song we first danced to, then yes,' she replied, dipping back and sliding her hand down his arm. Bobby laughed.

'This is definitely the way to come home,' he said as he brought her back up slowly, his hand running the length of her spine, causing a shiver to run through her. Maria studied her husband's face.

'Something's up at work, isn't it?' she said abruptly. Bobby let her go as her hands migrated to her hips and her eyes had a calculating look settle in them. Bobby sighed. He might as well tell her the truth.

'Come sit down and we'll talk about it,' he said, motioning to the couch. They sat down and Maria folded her arms, looking at him seriously.

'Now what's up?' she asked. Bobby explained about the Whitfield death.

'... so you see, Deakins doesn't think that he was murdered.'

'Did you order a full tox screen?'

'Obviously. Turned up evidence of depression medication and rat poison.'

'Was he on depression medication?'

'Ordered the medical files, but they won't be in until tomorrow.'

'Bobby, you've faced crime scenes that looked like suicides before, what makes this one different?'

Bobby got up and began pacing the floor. Maria sat up and watched him closely. She'd seen her husband in this mood before. All she had to do was listen. He faced her.

'This is different because it wasn't a _normal_ crime scene. It was set up... like a riddle. Like whoever did this wanted us to crack the riddle.'

'What riddle? Explain to me.'

'The victim died from rat poison, but when we interviewed the neighbours they said that the pest control had come last month. We checked his credit cards and every nearby store and no-one said they had seen him buy the poison. Then we turn up the medication? There's something going on. Something we haven't noticed.'

'Go back to the crime scene. Bobby, everything is a riddle to you.'

'But this was... different. Normally, it's a riddle by default. This was a riddle by choice. I'm not even sure he was murdered in the house, but the car had a full tank of petrol.'

'Bobby, was he married?' Maria asked. Bobby nodded.

'Yes. We haven't spoken to the wife yet.'

'I suggest you do it and do it soon. If you're right about this becoming a murder investigation, you need to catch it before it gets out of hand.'


	2. Chapter 2: Tuesday

Law & Order CI: Riddle Me This

Chapter Two 

_Author's notes_: previous disclaimers apply! Thanks to the five reviewers who are excited to see Bobby and Maria back in action! And yeah, blucougar57, it really is _Aunty_ Eames! Lol!

* * *

Bobby Goren arrived at work the following morning to find Whitfield's medical records waiting for him on his desk. Dropping his coffee, Goren picked up the file and began to read. Half an hour later, Eames arrived, looking slightly flustered.

'How come you're in late?' Bobby asked indifferently, sipping his coffee as she dropped into her chair.

'My private life is no concern of yours, _Bobby_.'

'I'm afraid it is, _Aunty_. When I married your niece, I made it my business.'

'Oh God, Goren! She's my _step_ niece! Her father married my sister! Stop calling me _Aunty_!'

Bobby sniggered behind the files as Eames rolled her eyes.

'You still didn't answer my question.'

'Being a married man, Goren, I'll leave it to your warped imagination.'

'Oh good. You were off hacking limbs from Portuguese hookers with your cross-dressing fiancée.'

As the two bickered, Deakins approached the partners with caution. The last thing he needed was to get involved in another mid-morning, caffeine-fuelled squabble.

'Did you get Whitfield's medical records?' he asked carefully. Goren lifted his eyes to the Captain.

'Yeah, I did.'

'Well?'

'According to this, Whitfield had a history of depression, but there is no record of a recent prescription for medication.'

'So he was getting it under the counter?'

'Most likely, unless it was someone else's medication.'

Deakins regarded the detectives with a look of determination.

'I suggest you get onto the family, pronto.'

* * *

Lydia Whitfield looked nervous. Not that she meant to, but the overall impression that Goren got when she first let himself and Eames into the family home was nervousness. She wasn't a particularly handsome woman, but she was tall and bottle-blonde with watery eyes. She was barely shorter than him, now that he thought about it. The willowly woman regarded the detectives with a degree of anxiety, as if she were afraid of what they would do next.

'Please, m-make yourself comfortable,' Lydia said, plumping up some cushions on the non-intentional retro couch. Eames smiled and took a seat, resting comfortably, while Goren perched on the edge, binder open and pen in hand.

'Mrs. Whitfield, h-how long were you and Tommy married?' he asked, clicking the pen. Lydia Whitfield sighed, casting her eyes to the ceiling.

'Too long, I think. I stayed with him because he promised me things. Promises of a better life. Promises, it was always promises with Tommy. He was never home, always with that _girl_, his "literary agent". Bah, as if I didn't know what was going on between those two.'

'And what about his depression? We saw that he had been treated for it, but there were no recent prescriptions for the anti-depressants that were found in his system,' Eames asked, leaning forward. Lydia swore softly.

'That bastard. I asked him if he'd been taking my pills a week ago after I found half a bottle gone. He denied it, of course, but I guess it caught up with him.'

'We found rat poison as well as traces of the anti-depressants.'

'Really? So it wasn't an overdose, like I thought, then?'

'No. He received sufficient dosage of poison to kill a horse.'

'Yowch.'

Goren stood up. He didn't have the time for idle chit-chat with the widow. That was Eames' department. He moved gracefully across the room, taking in his surroundings and noting careful points about the room. He stopped near the arched doorway, near a bookcase that was partially empty, save for only a few books and a large framed photo of Lydia, Tommy and a small boy. Goren picked it up carefully.

'Is this your son?' he asked, cutting through Eames' questions. Lydia, who hadn't noticed the large detective move away, jumped slightly.

'Err, yes, that's our son. Donovan. That was taken some years ago. He started middle school this year.'

Goren grinned sheepishly and pointed at her with the photo.

'Donovan, interesting name. Your husband's idea or yours?'

Lydia turned to Eames, an exasperated expression on her face.

'I really fail to see the relevance of your partner's question, detective.'

Eames gave her a thin-lipped smile.

'Don't worry about him, he's just been married. He's about to start his own family, therefore can't keep his nose out of everyone else's.'

'Indeed. Well, I'm really sorry, detective, but I have to run. If you give me your card, I'll call you if I think of anything to help you with the investigation,' Mrs. Whitfield said, ushering Goren and Eames to the door. Goren turned and gave the woman a rather disarming smile.

'Could we possibly have the name and address of Tommy's literary agent?' he asked politely. Lydia was taken aback.

'S-sure, though I don't see _why_ you would want to speak to her,' she replied, reaching over and grabbing a business card from the bookcase. She handed it to Goren resentfully. He smiled and exited the building. On the way back to their SUV, Eames pulled her partner aside.

'You think that this lit agent had something to do with Whitfield's suicide?'

Goren appeared to see right through her for a moment, chewing his bottom lip thoughtfully. Then his eyes focussed on hers.

'Not sure. I'll know when we get there.'

'One thing though, did we leak an overdose theory?'

'Don't think so.'

* * *

'Sure, I was Tommy's literary agent,' said Harriet Jackman, puffing casually on a cigarette. Eames watched her partner turn green with envy and smiled.

'We just want to know about your relationship with Tommy, Miss Jackman.'

Harriet laughed and tapped the ash from her cigarette on the side of the ashtray.

'What's there to say? I gathered that you must know about the affair Tommy and I were having. Well, I signed him to the publisher only a year ago. He brought me the draft of the book and asked me to look over it. Well, it was _fine_, but you didn't argue with Tommy. He had a temper that was shorter than the wick of a tea candle. So we ended up in bed together.'

Goren straightened his tie and peered at her through his sunglasses.

'That's it? You two slept together?'

Harriet nodded, slightly unnerved at Bobby's sudden interest.

'Yeah, why? Look, if this has anything to do with me, I'd like to know,' Harriet said, brushing her red bob away from her shoulders and staring back at Bobby. Goren shrugged.

'Just curious. Miss Jackman, did Mr Whitfield ever confide to you that he was suffering depression?'

Harriet laughed.

'Who, Tommy? Nah, he was on a high. This book was supposed to be our line out. He said that when he had the money, he was gonna leave that dead-beat wife of his. Said that he'd had enough of her and that he wanted to be with me. Well, I wasn't gonna say no, was I? I got a kid and I could sure use a guy with a pay check in my life.'

'Where were you on Monday night?'

'Tommy came and saw me. Said that since the book flopped, he couldn't leave his wife. He depended on her money, see? We argued and he left.'

'One last question, Miss Jackman. Have you purchases rat poison in the last month or so?'

Harriet Jackman stared at the detectives, then shrugged.

'I guess so. I live on a block with a big ol' shed out the back. I've had some problems with vermin the last year or so, so I've been getting poison and laying it down each week.'

Eames stood up and shook the agent's hand.

'Thank you, Miss Jackman, we'll be in touch.'

'So the victim and the mistress argue the night that he's killed and she is known to have purchased rat poison. We don't know how she might have got the depression medication from the Whitfield's cabinet, but then again, perps have been arraigned on far less evidence.'

Goren groaned, rolling at the ADA's passe remark. He looked Carver squarely in the eye, his brown eyes flashing.

'Look, I don't believe that Jackman is anything more than a bright girl in with the wrong person at the wrong time. She was too forth-coming with her evidence. She wasn't lying.'

'Can you prove that?'

'Jackman lives alone. She inherited her parents' house when they died in a car crash two years ago. No siblings.'

'Then unless you can give me some solid evidence, detective, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to issue an arrest warrant for Miss Jackman.'

'How long do we have?'

'Forty-eight hours, starting now. You better get your skates on, detective.'

'So what now?' Eames asked her partner as he slumped into his chair. Goren rubbed his chin.

'Now? Now we go home to our respective partners, have a semi-restful night and come back tomorrow morning, hoping that we have some new evidence waiting for us.'

'That's a bit much to hope for, isn't it?'

'Maybe, maybe not.'

'Fair enough. I got a tonne of paperwork to get through, though.'

'Speak for yourself,' said Bobby, grabbing his coat and winking at her. Eames sighed as she watched her partner's back retreating towards the elevators.

'Might've guessed,' she muttered, turning her attention to the mountain of files that lay on her desk.

* * *

Eames clicked open the lock to her apartment and found her fiancee, Daniel Burfield, snoozing on the couch with the remote in his hand. Gently extracting it from his grip, Alex switched the television and kissed her husband to be on the cheek. Daniel jerked awake.

'Wha-what? Oh, hi sweetheart, how was work?' he murmured, pulling her down into his lap. Alex wound her arms around his neck, happy to be home.

'Mmmm, not bad. You?' she asked, ruffling his rusty hair. Daniel laughed.

'Eh, what can you do? The boss is tougher than nails and the work has to be done yesterday, but we seem to be getting through okay.'

'Yeah, I hear you. We're working this one case at the moment, sheesh, you'd reckon Goren actually thought that this was a murder case. He's barking up trees that people... _normal_ people wouldn't even think of.'

Daniel sat up and looked up into Alex's eyes.

'Did you ever think that Goren's, well... I don't know how to say this without offending you, your partner or your niece...'

'What? Just say it.'

'Well, it just seems to me that Goren's a bit of... well, he's a... cradle-snatcher.'

Alex let her arms drop and stood up, glaring at her partner.

'And I suppose next thing you're gonna say that Maria married her sugar-daddy, is that it?' she shouted. Daniel leapt to his feet.

'That's not what I meant!'

'Daniel, I'm only going to say this once, so I want you to listen to me closely. My partner is _not_ a cradle-snatcher. He broke up with Maria shortly after they started going out. It was me who put them back together. Goren has been alone for so long now, I couldn't stand it any longer. Maria was headed down the same track. I couldn't just... just sit _by_ and watch my niece follow the same track as my partner! They're happy together, they _understand_ each other. As for being a sugar-daddy, Goren gets the same pay check as me. Maybe a little less. He's far from being a sugar-daddy.'

Alex stopped to draw breath and found Daniel staring at her in the dark. She swept her blonde hair away from her face.

'What?'

'I... I'm sorry. I didn't understand.'

Alex sat down beside her fiancee and rubbed her face. She felt Daniel put his arm around her. She lifted her face to his.

'Dan, let me tell you something. If I didn't trust Bobby with my life, I would've killed him before I let him anywhere near my niece. So just trust my judgement, okay?'

Daniel kissed her forehead and pulled her to him. Alex snuggled against his chest and looked up at him. Daniel smiled.

'Okay.'


	3. Chapter 3: Corpus Corporate

Law & Order CI: Riddle Me This

Chapter Three

_Author's Notes_:** Thought I'd try and get this started early. If I don't, well, you know me! I'll never get it finished! Kudos to those who are following this new chapter of Bobby and Maria's relationship. I really do appreciate it. Thanks also go to my C2 staff: TriStateCopFan, blucougar57 and MariskaRose. You guys are awesome!**

* * *

Bobby Goren opened the door to his apartment and dropped into the chair nearest to the door. Massaging his forehead, he sighed.

'Bobby? Is that you?'

'Yeah, it's me.'

Maria came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. She smiled at him.

'Got home early. I decided to do the dishes before you got home, 'cause I called Deakins and he said you would be late.'

'Typical. Damn case has everyone tied up in knots.'

'Are you _sure_ that wasn't a suicide?'

'I'm not sure of anything anymore.'

Maria sat on the arm of the chair, took his jacket and hung it up. Returning to Bobby's side, she rubbed his shoulders. Bobby threw his head back and grinned.

'Baby, that's _soooooo_ good... wanna continue this in our bedroom?'

'Now, now, Bobby, you just got home. Don't you wanna eat first?'

Goren laughed and tugged her into his lap.

'Depends. What's for dinner?'

'Leftovers.'

Goren stood up swiftly, his arms locked under his wife's body. Maria's arms snaked around his neck. He kissed her softly on the lips.

'Then I think I can wait a few hours longer.'

* * *

Bobby woke up to the sound of early morning darkness, one bearish arm tightly wrapped around his wife, who was bound tightly against his chest. Gingerly, he removed his arm and stuffed a pillow under her head so as not to wake her. He crept quietly into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. He yawned, rubbing his hands through his tussled curls. He looked himself over in reflection from the fridge. Butt naked, save for the shirt he had worn to work yesterday. Goren ran a hand over the two-day growth on his chin. _Maybe I should shave this morning..._

Out of nowhere, a pillow came whizzing through the air and hit him in the back with a dull thud. Goren bent down and picked it up curiously.

'You honestly can't have thought that a pillow feels anything like your arm, could you?' came a soft voice from around the corner. Bobby grinned.

'One hoped that it did,' he replied, sneaking around the corner into the lounge room. Maria ducked into the kitchen quickly, but not before the pillow in Bobby's hand came flying after her and hit her squarely in the shoulder. Maria gave a squeal and pegged it back in his direction. Bobby caught it and laughed, racing into the kitchen and pinning her against the sink. Maria pummelled his naked front playfully as her husband grasped her wrists. He lowered his head and kissed her powerfully on the lips. His hands left her wrists and rose to her shoulders and into her hair. Maria pulled him to her and stroked his hips, causing him to wriggle slightly.

'Did that tickle, sweetheart?' she whispered against Goren's lips. Bobby moaned softly against her mouth. He traced the outline of her lips with his tongue.

'You know very well what happens when you do that to me.'

'Do I, now? I can't quite remember...'

In one, swift movement, Bobby lifted her onto the edge of the sink, her arms still around his neck. Bobby pushed aside her hair and nipped at her earlobe. Maria gasped slightly as Bobby moved his lips to her neck, his hands sliding down her arms, across her hips to her thighs.

'Do you remember now?' he murmured, kissing the hollow of her throat.

'Bobby... no... not... not here...'

'Yes here. Now. Right now.'

Bobby moved closer to Maria and wrapped her legs around his waist. He looked up into her eyes through the darkness, his eyes begging hers.

'I want to start a family with you. Right here, right now,' he said seriously.

'I've waited far too long as it is to have kids. It's now or never.'

Maria threaded her fingers through his silver curls and looked deep into his eyes. Her aunt hadn't lied; Bobby had wanted everything from life. His only problem was finding a way to get it. She smiled at him.

'I love you, Bobby Goren. I _want_ to have your kids,' she whispered. Bobby braced himself for the _but_, but it never came. Maria leant down and kissed his forehead.

'I think we've waited long enough,' she said. Bobby's eyes shone in the dark, a boyish grin spreading across his face.

'Let's get to starting this family.'

* * *

Alex didn't notice that Bobby had come to work dishevelled. She had got so used to it before he married Maria that when he arrived at work with tussled, rumpled curls and unshaven for two days, she simply handed him the latest case files without even looking up.

'What's this?' he asked, dropping into his chair. Alex grabbed her coffee and took a swig.

'Another murder,' she said simply, finishing her report with a swift stab at the paper. Bobby raised an eyebrow then looked at the file. His eyes widened.

'Surely not...' he said.

* * *

Mr. Leon Barkley's body lay at odd angles in his office on the twelfth floor of **BARKLEY AND BARKLEY PUBLISHING**. Goren shook his head as he stepped lightly around the new corpse.

'New evidence... huh,' he said quietly to himself. Alex stood to the side, taking down the statement from the security guard who had discovered the dead publisher.

'... I just got off from night shift, noticed Mr Barkley's door was open. T'wasn't like him to leave his office unlocked. So I said "Jim, you go check on Mr Barkley's office" and I just pushed on the door and I found Mr. Barkley right there.'

'Did you touch him at all? See anyone come in or out of the building last night?'

'No, miss, not even young Miss Jackman. She's _always_ in and out of here. But these last two week, she ain't. Didn't touch him, neither.'

'Thanks, we'll be in touch.'

Alex re-read the statement as she approached her partner, who was hopping around the corpse like a little boy around his presents at christmas.

'So what's the deal?' she asked as Bobby looked up from where he was kneeling next to the body.

'Apart from the connection to the Whitfield death, it's not the same. Different cause of death. This guy... he was hit in the head from behind. With this,' Goren said, lifting a bloodied paperweight from beside the body. Alex held out an evidence bag and he dropped the heavy object in. As she sealed it, Goren knelt down and pushed the body slightly. Wriggling his hand under the body, he retrieved a clutch of papers.

'Eames, look,' Goren said, holding the blood-covered papers out to her. Alex took them from her partner.

'Well, well, well, whaddya know, Mr Barkley's accounting. And look, it appears that he was embezzling funds,' Alex cracked dryly. Bobby pursed his lips.

'Motive for the kill. At least now we know why Whitfield couldn't leave his wife.'

Alex looked down at her partner.

'Let's have a little chat with Carver.'

* * *

'What do you need the warrant for?' Carver asked, leaning back in his chair at 1, Hogan Place. Goren leant forward.

'We need to have our accountants check the books for Barkley and Barkley Publishing. We have every reason to believe that Barkley was murdered over an embezzling dispute.'

'Embezzling dispute? From whom?'

'Tommy Whitfield,' said Alex, handing Carver a copy of the papers they had retrieved from the crime scene.

'We believe that Whitfield had made a lot more than what he was getting, that Barkley was skimming the profits.'

'It's a motive for murder. If his wife or mistress discovered the embezzlement, either would be in a position to commit the crime,' Bobby continued, rocking impatiently in his chair. Carver looked at the pair over the top of his glasses.

'_Just_ the records? No search warrant for the murder weapon?'

'Oh, we found that. Murder by paperweight doesn't strike a heavy blow with many killers,' Alex quipped. Carver rolled his eyes.

'Alright, I'll get you the paperwork straightaway.'

* * *

'You were right, detectives, there _was _embezzling goin' on here. BIG time. Grand scale, whatever you want to call it. Barkley had skimmed over one hundred g's from the company profits,' said the accountant, handing copies of the findings to the two detectives. Goren seized his and began rifling through it. Alex flicked through it slowly, before returning her eyes to the accountant.

'So tell us what was going on here,' she asked. The accountant shrugged.

'Okay, here's the thing; the profits that the book stores make? They get sent to the company account. From there, it gets divided up into smaller payments: the publisher's fee, the lit agent's fee, publishing costs and then the author's royalties. According to Whitfield's contract, he was supposed to get thirty percent minimum from the profits, with that amount to increase to up to forty percent should the sales of the book reach best-seller. Unfortunately, Barkley switched the contract with a bogus one that stated that Whitfield would get the publisher's fee, around ten percent, while the publisher would get the royalties "to cover publishing costs".'

'And Whitfield never had the sense to have it checked out with a lawyer?'

'He was a first-time published writer. He never thought to check, I s'pose.'

'uh... thanks, we'll take it from here,' Goren said, standing up to open the door. The accountant crossed to the door and stepped out into the squad room. The tall detective closed the door behind him and leant against it, facing his partner.

'So? What do you think?' he asked. Alex pondered for a moment.

'Mistress?'

'Too obvious.'

'Obvious isn't one of your strong points, Bobby. You thought that Whitfield was murdered.'

'I still am _considering_ that possibility. But I don't think that Jackman is the perp.'

'Circumstantial evidence... we could bring her in for questioning?'

Goren turned and opened the door.

'Better go ask our good friend Carver. I know he'll be _thrilled_ to see _us_ again.'

* * *

_Major Case Squad Interrogation Room_

Bobby Goren hovered in a corner of the room while Harriet Jackman sat irritably in a metal chair across from Alex, tapping her foot impatiently.

'Look, I gave you all the information I knew. If you wanted to know something, why didn't you just ask me instead of arresting me like some common criminal?' Harriet snarled at Alex. Eames glanced at her partner.

'We're sorry, Miss Jackman, it wasn't our idea, it was the D.A's. We just have a few questions for you in relation to Mr Barkley's murder last night.'

Harriet looked unnerved.

'I think I should have a lawyer here, don't you?'

'We can't make that decision for you, Miss Jackman.'

'I think I should. I don't want to answer questions that may incriminate me.'

'Why? Do you think we might implicate you?'

The question came out of the blue. Harriet spun on her chair to face Goren, who had been speaking to the wall. He turned, locking his brown eyes on her blue.

'Where were you last night, Miss Jackman?' Goren asked softly. Harriet shifted slightly on her chair.

'I... I was at home,' she replied as Goren moved fluidly across the room, his head tilted gently to the left.

'And I take it that, since you live alone, there's no-one who can verify that you were there?'

'No! I mean... yes, there's no-one, but... wait... you can't... no, there is _one_ person!' Harriet yelled. Goren sat down to Harriet's right and pushed across a photo from the crime scene.

'Is this him?'

Harriet peered at the photo, then jumped.

'No! That's Mr Barkley! He... he visited me last night, but I didn't _kill_ him.'

'The D.A's office thinks you did.'

Harriet slammed her fists against the table and threw her chair backwards. She brought her face so close to Goren's that Eames half-stood up. Bobby raised a hand to his partner. He let his other hand rest under his chin as Harriet sneered at him

'Now you listen to me, _detective_ and listen well. Barkley was at my house last night because I discovered that he had been embezzling. He threatened to tell Tommy's wife that he was cheating on her with me, but I said that I didn't care. Why would I? Tommy's dead. It's not like she could _divorce_ him over adultery now he's six feet under. He left just after nine. I ordered pizza about a half hour later, the pizza guy can verify my story,' Jackman hissed in the detective's blank face. Goren shot a look over at Eames. The door opened and a harassed-looking woman entered the room.

'Who're you?' Goren asked, standing up and stepping back. The woman gave him a sharp look.

'I, detective, am Miss Jackman's attorney. She is invoking her right to remain silent. Now I'm going to ask you to run along while I speak to my client,' the lawyer said stiffly. Goren rolled his eyes and looked at Eames. Alex stood up and picked up the report with the crime scene photos. As she passed Goren, she muttered under her breath;

'And we're back to square one.'

Goren grinned as he closed the door to the interrogation room.


End file.
